Local Flavor Village Porch Bistro brings elegant simplicity to Rochester, Vt.

Author: Lea Calderon-Guthe

Nestled south of Sugarbush on Route 100 and east of the Snow Bowl on Route 125 is the little town of Rochester. It would be merely a blur of lit storefronts in the otherwise pitch dark of the mountains if it were not for the speed limit change, but I was pleasantly surprised to find not only a reason to slow down, but a reason to get out and sit down to an exceptional dinner.

The Village Porch is a tiny bar and bistro on the corner of Route 100 and School Street in Rochester, and without the small sign declaring it a restaurant, it could just as easily be someone's home. As one might expect, The Porch features an inviting veranda that extends along two sides of the building with the door on the corner.

In the summer, patrons frequently enjoy their meals outside, but when my dinner date and I arrived, it was a balmy 34 degrees, so we chose the dining room instead. The friendly hostess waved at us from behind the bar as we walked in, and the smattering of tables in a very cozy space felt more like a friend's dinner party than a formal restaurant. The front room offered a few tables and a luxurious full bar, but two steps brought us into the back room and to our table with a full view into the kitchen over a high counter.

From the Mason jar water glasses to the crisp table linens to the rooster salt and pepper shakers, it was easy to see that Connie Mendell, co-owner of The Porch with her husband, Dean Mendell, has been in the catering business for over 25 years. She and Dean may have just opened The Porch two years ago, but the contemporary country feel of the place shows off the same elegant decorating skills and attention to detail that made her catering business, Occasions, a success.

The Mendells advertise The Porch as a "Vermont-style bar and bistro," and from its roots as an unofficial celebration of community to its current set-up, I could not describe it better. Local artists' work adorns every wall and on the beverage menu The Porch Pint is highlighted as a specialty beer brewed locally just for The Village Porch.

While I could probably extol every aspect of The Porch, the centerpiece of the restaurant's commitment to local culture - and certainly the highlight of my experience - was the menu.Chef Luke Stone crafts a new menu every week that changes based on his fancy and what meats and vegetables are locally in season, and besides paying tribute to Vermont's agricultural wealth, his dishes seem inspired by life in Vermont. They are simple, yet rich in taste; solidly comforting, yet refreshingly light.

The menu read like a family tree with a beet and avocado salad, grilled asparagus atop homemade duck prosciutto, house smoked baby back ribs and saut